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Mastitis lump wont go away?

LO is 10 weeks old. Last week I pumped too much one day & wore a tight bra & woke up Tuesday super engorged. By noon I had a fever, chills, and my breast was red & painful. I tried to resolve it myself, but on Wed I called my doc & they prescribed antibiotics over the phone.

By Friday, the fever had gone away but my breast seemed red in a different area and still had a lump...so I went in & saw the dr. She was worried about an abscess. She switched my antibiotics & called in a possible appt with a breast specialist for Monday if it hasn't improved.

By Monday, the redness was gone. All that remains is a lump. The specialist's nurse said they don't need to see me since the redness is gone & things seem to be 'resolving'.

However, the lump that is under my areola right below the nipple will not go away. What could this be? Plugged milk sinuses? I keep emptying the breast but there's no swelling like milk is backed up. Just a lump that's not getting smaller & doesn't hurt. I've tried hot water and massage.

Should/can a mastitis lump last over a week after antibiotics? Should I see the doctor again? Lumps scare me

Re: Mastitis lump wont go away?

Some possible explanations for the lump:
- it's residual swelling/inflammation from mastitis
- it's a plugged duct unrelated to the bout of mastitis
- it's an abscess that is resolving (most likely due to the antibiotics)
- it's a galactocele

That's all just off the top of my head. I'd guess that residual inflammation or a plugged duct are the most likely explanations for what you're experiencing, but you shouldn't rule out the other possibilities. If the lump starts to grow, or you see evidence of returning mastitis symptoms, it's probably time to see the breast specialist. If you're freaking out about cancer, I don't think you need to. There are too many other good possibilities for you to be focusing on the more remote possibility- you know that old medical adage: "If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."

Have you tried massaging the area with an electric massager, like an electric toothbrush? That can sometimes help break up a stubborn plug.

Re: Mastitis lump wont go away?

Thank you for responding. i do hope it's one of those. i will try the toothbrush trick. I feel like its not a clog bcuz my milk is gone & there's no backup or anything.

It's now been 11 days since I woke up with mastitis. I have 2 days left of antibiotics. The lump is still there. My nipples/areolas are peeling, and there's even some peeling going on where the redness was from the mastitis. I'm only getting more & more worried about the lump...I'm starting to second guess myself & wonder if it was there before mastitis.

My milk supply is gone, which is so depressing. I worked so hard to get it where it was. I just want this lump to go away

Re: Mastitis lump wont go away?

It's normal to see a drop in production after a bout of mastitis. But not for milk to be totally "gone." So, are you seeing a reduction in supply, or do you really feel like your milk has vanished? Are you nursing on demand, nursing on a schedule, nursing and pumping, or exclusively pumping?

Peeling nipples/areolas sounds very much like thrush, which is common after a round of antibiotics. The antibiotics kill off the bad bacteria that are making you sick, but also the good bacteria that prevent yeast from overgrowing. At this point, I think you need to go back to the doctor and discuss treatment for yeast. Your primary care doc may not be familiar with thrush, but your ob, midwife, or pediatrician may be.

Re: Mastitis lump wont go away?

I was pretty much only pumping. Sometimes I would try a latch to see how it went, but we had to bf-supp-pump for the 6 weeks I was off work & once I returned to work I just pumped.

So when I got mastitis, it hurt so bad to pump that I had to put it on the lowest setting. That sealed my fate as never pumped more than 1 or 2 oz a session anyways, and now nothing comes out of one side & the other I get maybe .25oz.

I thought my nipples were peeling from not pumping as much & the lack of milk lubricant. What other symptoms of thrush are there? My baby's tongue is always white...from milk?

Re: Mastitis lump wont go away?

Thrush symptoms:
- sensations of itching or burning, particularly if they come in between feedings
- skin which is peeling, flaking, shiny, and/or cracking
- small, slit-like cracks
- affected areas may be more red or pink than normal

Thrush in the breast is often accompanied by oral thrush in baby, a yeast diaper rash (google for pics), and/or a vaginal yeast infection in mom. Oral thrush is generally described as looking like white patches in the baby's mouth or on the baby's tongue, but unlike milk residue the patches don't rub off, or if they do, there may be raw skin underneath. If you suspect thrush in your baby, you definitely want to see the pediatrician. If the pediatrician sees thrush in baby's mouth, make sure you get a prescription for both you and baby, since it's vital to treat both members of the nursing pair even if one appears asymptomatic.

When it comes to mil production, your fate isn't sealed. It's always possible to boost production. What would you like to do, mama? Are you content to call it a day, or would you like to get your supply back?